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Bus travelers listen for the sound of crickets

July
23, 2008 -- Pedestrians
at 19th and Holloway avenues may notice a new addition to their surroundings
as they wait for the bus -- the sound of crickets chirping. It's the
latest installment in the Sound Web, SF State's network of audible cues
that help users, particularly those with visual impairments, navigate
the 141-acre campus.

The newest Sound Web installation (top right) emits the
sound of crickets chirping near the MUNI bus stop at 19th and Holloway
avenues.

New devices have been installed at the public transportation stop at the corner of 19th and Holloway avenues and at the SF State shuttle stop on 19th Avenue, totaling 11 Sound Web locations on campus. These solar-powered electronic playback devices emit sounds 24 hours a day, distinguishing different campus landmarks: bird calls at campus entrances, wind chimes at pathway intersections, percussion at student facilities and now cricket chirps at public transportation waiting areas.

"It's a pleasant greeting for some and a way finder for others," said Phil Evans, director of campus grounds, who has collaborated with engineering
and design students, the Disability Programs and Resource Center and faculty in the Orientation and Mobility program to develop the Sound Web project during
the last two years.